Synchronizing mechanism.



C. J. COLEMAN.

SYNCHRONIZING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I. I915.

1,290,094. Patent-ed Jan. 7, 1919.

fifnvento zz' CLYDE J. COLEMAN, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

SYNCHRONIZING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1919.

Application filed August 21, 1915. Serial 13046530.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Premium Point Park, New Rochelle, county of l/Vestchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Synchronizing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to synchronizing mechanisms and particularly to means governed by one mechanism for controlling the actuation of another.

One. object of my invention is to provide means governed by the actuation of one machine, a phonograph, for example, for controlling the actuation of another machine, such as a kinetoscope.

Another object is to provide a checking mechanism, the speed of operation of different parts of which depends upon the speed of operation of different machines, said mechanism being so arranged that one machine is prevented from running more rapidly than the other.

Another object is to provide means whereby one of two associated mechanisms is permitted to operate only at the same speed as or more slowly than the other of the two mechanisms.

Another object is to provide checking mechanism in which one member is advanced intermittently by steps proportionately to the advance of one machine and the other member is advanced steadily proportionately to the advance of another machine, the checking mechanism being so arrangedthat the steady advance of the one member may not exceed the integral of the intermittent advances of the other.

Other and further advantages and objects will appear from the following description,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and will be pointed out in the claims.

The invention described and containedin this specification is similar in type to the inventions describedand claimed in'two applications filed by me for patents for improvements in combined kinetoscopic and phonographic apparatus, Ser. No. 46,628, filed All-- gust 21, 1915, and Ser. gust 21, 1915.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a diagram showing a phonographic ap- No. 46,629, filed. Au-

paratus connected to a kinetoscopic machine by synchronizing mechanism, embodying the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail of the locked ratchet mechanism formmg part of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1.

In order to project pictures on a screen in true. synchronism with the reproduction of all of the sounds made during the original enactment of the scene portrayed by the k netoscoplc pictures, it is necessary that the picture projecting machine be operated in true synchronism with the sound producing machine. In the form of synchronizing mechanism illustrated and described in this specification, in order to disclose my invention, the sound reproducing mechanism is driven by a motor which has an electrical contact-making mechanism directly attached to it. The projecting machine may be driven by hand or any other well-known device. The projecting machine carries one member of a checking mechanism, and this member has limited coaction with another member of checking mechanism. The other member of the checking mechanism is rotated at a speed proportional to the speed of the sound reproducing mechanism. This rotation is brought about by the action of a pawl upon a ratchet wheel, attached to said last named member of the checking mechanism. Motion is imparted to this pawl by means of electromagnets, the energization of which is brought about by the contact-making member directly connected to the sound reproducing mechanism. Means are provided to prevent the ratchet wheel from overrunning the pawl.

Referring to the drawings, a sound reproducing machine 1, comprises the usual disk carrying platform 2, over which swings the arm 3, which carries the sound box 4 and to which is operatively joined the ordinary sound magnifying horn 5. This mechanism is positioned behind the screen 6, upon which the kineto's'copic ictures are projected and the horn preferably delivers its vibrations through openings 7 in the screen, which are positioned above that portion of the screen upon which the pictures are projected. The disk 2 carries a bevel gear 8, which meshes with a. bevel gear 9 upon shaft 10. The shaft 10 is driven through a worm wheel 11, by an electric motor 12. Carried upon the end of the shaft 10 is an electric contact-making member or commutator, which comprises a be seen that a circuit connected to these brushes will be intermittently made and broken.

The kinetoscopic machine 20 is positioned in front of the screen and has a driving shaft 21, which may be rotated by the ordinary crank 22, or by any other well-known means. The shaft 21 extends through the kinetoscopic machine, and has threads 23 upon its other end. Upon the threaded portion of the shaft there is positioned a nut 24 which is provided with two or more openings, into which fit the arms 25 of a yoke 25. Attached to the yoke is a shaft 26, upon which is fixed a ratchet wheel 27. Cooperating with the ratchet wheel is a pawl 28, which is pivoted at 29, and comprises the members 30, and the armature member 31. Associated with the armature member 31 is the electromagnet 32, and the spring 33. The circuit of the electromagnet 32 is connected to the brushes 16 and 17. It will therefore be seen that as the machine is rotated, the circuit of the magnet will be made and broken and the armature 31 will be intermittently drawn toward the magnet due to the magnetic flux generated thereby and drawn away from the magnet by the action of the spring. As the armature 31'moves toward the magnet, one of the members 30 cooperates with one face 27 of a tooth 27 on the ratchet wheel 27, and causes the ratchet wheel to move forward and the other member 30 moves out from between the other teeth 27, when the magnet 30 is deenergized, the spring 33 swings the pawl about its pivot 29 and the other member 30 is drawn against the face 27 of one of the teeth 27, and the ratchet wheel is given another slight forward motion. It will be seen that with the form of ratchet and pawl provided, one of the members 30 is always between adjacent teeth 27', and that the ratchet wheel 27 may not, therefore, run ahead of the pawl 28. It is apparent that the pawl and ratchet mechanism or escapement is operable in one direction only, for it is only by operating the lever 31 that the wheel 27 may be rotated. Any attempt to rotate the wheel 27 will cause one of the faces 27 to engage one ofthe arms 30 and the mechanism will be locked. In other words, the lever 31 may not be operated by pressure on the wheel 27. This positively prevents the part 25 from running ahead of the sound-reproducing mechanism. It will appear, therefore, that the yoke 25 will be given an intermittent rotation. This will cause the nut to be rotated and therefore moved away from the rubber limiting pad 34, which is afiixed to the projecting machine 20 and surrounds the threaded portion 23 of the shaft 21. As the nut moves away from the pad 34, the kinetoscopic operating shaft 21 may be rotated to operate the kinetoscope, but if the shaft 21 is operated too rapidly, the nut 24 will be drawn down against the pad R and further rotation of the shaft 21 will not be permitted. It is thus seen that the threaded portion 23 of the shaft 21, the yoke 25 and the nut 24, comprise a checking mechanism in that the nut N has two forces acting upon it, which neutralize one another if the forces are applied at the right speeds. It will be seen, therefore, that the picture projecting machine may be operated at any speed less than or equal 'to a speed proportional to that y of the soundreproducing mechanism, for so long as the shaft 21 rotates at a proper speed, the nut 24 will be continually backed away from the pad 34, but if the shaft 21 is operated too rapidly, the nut 24 will contact with the pad 34 and the rotation of the shaft 21 in the nut Will be stopped. Should this condition be brought about, the ratchet wheel 27 is prohibited. from overrunning the pawl, because either one or the other of the members 30 is in enga ement With the teeth 27 of the ratchet whee \Vhile I have illustrated and described with great detail a specific embodiment of my invention, I do not intend that I shall be limited to the exact features shown and described therein, but intend that such modifications may be made in my invention as may appear to those skilled in the art, and that my invention shall be limited and defined by the hereunto appended claims.

I cl'ai 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a plurality of machines, a checking mechanism comprising a plurality of members respectively operated in accordance with the operation of said machines, said members being arranged to cooperate with one another and change their relative positions with a change of synchronism of said machines, means for limiting the said change of relative positions to a predetermined extent and means capable of operation in one direction only whereby one of said members is operated in accordance. with the operation of its respective -machine.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of two machines, a checking mechanism comp-rising two coacting members and a stop member for limiting the extent of coaictioni of one of said members, said members being operated by one of said machines, and means operable in one direction onlyfor operating said other member from the other-of said machines, whereby one machine may operate only at a Speed" equal to or less than the speed of the other.

3. In an apparatus of the clam described, the combination of two machinm and a checking mechanism comprising a screw member and a nut member, said members being respectively operated by said machines, one of said members being provided. with means for limiting the relative motion of said members, whereby one machine may operate at any speed equal to or less than the speed of the other.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of two machines, a checking mechanism comprising two coacting members, one of said members being operated by one of said machines, and an escapement operated from the other of said machines and controlling the operation of the other of said member 5. In an a paratus of the clam described, the combination of two machines and a check: ing mechanism comprising a plurality of members capable of coaction limited in extent, one of said members being directly connected to one of said machines, a ratchet wheel connected to the other of said members, and a pawl cooperating with said wheel, said pawl being operatively connected to said other machine.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of two machines and achecking mechanism comprising a plurality of members capable of coaction limited in extent, one of said members being directly connected to one. of said machines, a ratchet wheel connected to the other of said members, a pawl cooperating with said wheel, an electromagnet for actuating said palwl,-the energization of said magnet being dependent upon the other of said machines.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of two machines, a checking mechanism comprising a plurality of mem bers capable of coa'ction limited in extent, one of said members being directly connected to one of'said machines, the other :of said members having motion imparted thereto from the other of said machines, and means for preventing said last named member from running ahead of said last named machine.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of two machines and a checking mechanism comprising a plurality of members capable of coaction limited in extent, one-of said members being directly connected to one ofsaid machines, a ratchet wheel connected to the other of said members, a pawl cooperating with said wheel, said pawl being operalt-ively connected to said other machine, and means for preventing said wheel. from 'overrunning said pawl.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a plurality of machines of a checking mechanism comprising a plurality of co-axially arranged members respectively operated in accordance with the operation of said machines, said members being arranged to cooperate with one another and change their relative positions axially with respect to each other with a departure of the said machines from synchronism, and means for limiting the said change of relative positions to a predetermined extent.

10. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a plurality of machines of a checking mechanism comprising a plurality of members. respectively operated in accordance with the operation of, said machines, one of said members being operated intermittently, said members being arranged tb cooperate withjone another and change their relative positions with a departure of said machines from synchronism, and means for limiting said change of'relative positions to a predetermined extent.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification,

CLYDE J. COLEMAN. 

